J Street & Peter Beinart: Without Patriotism

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Peter Beinart, author of "The Crisis of Zionism".

At J Street’s annual conference this week, Barukh Binah, the deputy chief of mission at Israel’s embassy made it quite clear that these were “friends” which Israel simply didn’t need.

“We need you to stand with us. It is as simple as that and someone ought to say it. Internal activism is a central part of democratic society, but pressures on the elected government of Israel can present us with a problem, davka (especially) when we need you the most. I respectfully submit that this relatively new role lays responsibilities before you which I am certain have not been adequately considered.”

As a diplomat, Binah was very politically correct in suggesting that J Street did not appreciate its full potential to harm Israel – and could have added that these viewpoints have virtually no representation within the state of Israel. These left wing extremists may make a lot of noise in Washington, D.C., and New York but in Israel they have few followers and thankfully have been run of out the Knesset. Similarly, J Street, and their high-profile journalist Peter Beinart have no validity or standing in the American Jewish community. It can be said quite clearly:

“What interest can the Jewish nation have in individuals whose supreme pride consists in the fact that they have renounced their own people?”

“The bitter root of our shame and our suffering is that we do not give our own people the full love of a patriot. It would be better if we did not love our people at all, if we were unconcerned as to whether it existed or had disappeared, rather than that we should love it halfway which means to despise it.” (Without Patriotism by Ze’ev Jabotinsky)

These quotes come from the great Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky, which he wrote 90 years ago, and could be said today about J Street and Beinart.

In advance of the upcoming Global March to Jerusalem, where Israel’s forces will be attacked, and undoubtedly, the UN, J Street and others will condemn Israel, let them hear other words to be clear that Israel’s role is to protect the Jewish state and citizens of Israel: “We were not created in order to teach morals and manners to our enemies. Let them learn these things for themselves before they establish relations with us. We want to hit back at anybody who harms us. Whoever does not repay a blow by a blow is also incapable of repaying a good deed in kind. Only something who can hate his enemies can be a faithful friend to those who love him.” (Jabotinsky in Ha’mevassar)

As Jabotinsky said, the people need “Monism.” “If Zionism is an ideal, there is no room next to it for an independent aspiration with equal rights.” Zionism and Jewish survival matters more than anything else – and J Street is pro-peace – not pro-Israel.

What is means to support Israel and the Zionist ideal is clear. Let the words of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the great Jewish patriot and one of Jewish history’s greatest political minds, be heard from Jerusalem to Washington.

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“Internal activism is a central part of democratic society, but pressures on the elected government of Israel can present us with a problem, davka (especially) when we need you the most. I respectfully submit that this relatively new role lays responsibilities before you which I am certain have not been adequately considered.”

A couple of sentences that could have been voiced by Stalin or one or another of his cronies. Opposition is a democratic right, but hardly responsible when it causes discomfort to the current elected government.

“…and could have added that these viewpoints have virtually no representation within the state of Israel. These left wing extremists may make a lot of noise in Washington, D.C., and New York but in Israel they have few followers and thankfully have been run of out the Knesset.”

Despite the efforts of the Natanyahu govt.and the support given him by democracy loving American Jewry to “restrain” internal criticism of its pathological political agendas, no one has been run out of the Knesset, and given the deteriorating economic situation, there is a good possibility for a growing Left opposition here in Israel.